Designing a New £5.5 billion Energy Support Scheme for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
About the Project
Spearheading the design of a £5.5 billion Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS), with a robust application platform. The project aimed to support UK businesses in accessing energy discounts amid rising costs, ensuring timely delivery and effective implementation of this crucial government initiative.
Situation
The 2022 Ukraine invasion caused a sharp rise in UK living costs, particularly energy prices, impacting businesses and public sector organisations. In response, the UK Government announced the £5.5 billion Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) in January 2023.
This scheme aimed to provide discounts on wholesale gas and electricity prices for eligible non-domestic consumers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland from April 2023 to March 2024.
Task
As the Service Designer, I was tasked with leading a cross-functional team to design, develop, and launch the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS).
My primary responsibility was to create a robust application process and platform that would enable eligible applicants to access discounted energy efficiently. The system needed to be user-friendly and capable of handling applications throughout the scheme's one-year duration.
Approach
With three months to deliver the first iteration, I engaged the team to build alignment and establish efficient workflows. I employed a multi-faceted approach, including stakeholder management, agile methodologies, and co-design sessions.
Leading cross-functional teams, I facilitated strategic alignment and drove evidence-based decisions. Through prototyping and user journey mapping, we navigated complex structures and met challenging deadlines while focusing on organisational goals and financial impacts.
Results
These efforts led to the successful delivery of a £5.5 billion transformative energy scheme that significantly benefitted UK trade industries over a 12 month period and limited taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets.
This experience underscored the value of cross-functional collaboration in driving large-scale digital transformation within complex organisational frameworks.
Due to client confidentiality, I can’t share project assets publicly but can provide access to select visuals upon request.